Loose-leaf binder.



PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

A. OPA LLA. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

t u h l UNITED STATES Patented March 1, 1904.

ARTHUR OPALLA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,805, dated March 1,1904/ Application filed June 20, 1902. Serial No. 112,511. (No model.)

" wherein the backs of the cover are expansimembers 1 an ble; and theobject of the invention is to provide means for attaining multipleexpansion that is to say, an expansion such that the distance betweenthe covers when expanded shall be more than twice as great as whencompletely contracted.

It is also an object of this invention to provide simple, powerful, andpositively-acting means for controlling the covers and locking theminthe desired position.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete binderexpanded. Fig.2 is a front View of the binder in a contracted condition.Fig. 3 is a sectional View of .the binder, taken on the line 3 3, Fig.2. Fig. A is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the binderexpanded. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a fragment of theconnecting-plate.

Similar reference characters denotes similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The principal cover parts 1 and 2 consist of two box-like members, eachcomposed of a back plate 3, end plate 4, and cover-plate 5. The end andback plates are so constructed as :to pass by one another to permit theprincipal members to contract telescopically, as best shown in Fig. 3. v

An intermediate member 6 is designed both to act as a guide for theprincipal members and tocomplete the connection therebetween when thelatter are expanded. Said member 6 has a back portion 7 corresponding tothe back portions 3 of the principal members and is double at the ends,so as to substantially inclose the end lates 3 of the upper and lower d2, respectively. Both the outside leaves 8 and inside leaves 9 at theends of said intermediate member hav,e slots 10 for point between theirextremities.

receiving and guiding the pins 11 on the end plates 4 of the principalmembers. In the present instance the said guide-pins on upper member 1are on the inside, so as to travel in a the slots upon the inner leaves9, while the guide-pins on lower member 2 are on the outside, so as totravel in the slots upon the outer leaves 9. Said slots extend almostfrom top to bottom of the'leaves 8 and 9, but are closed at the ends tolimit the travel of the pins 11 therein. In the preferred constructionthe pins 11 on the upper member 1 are located at the lower'edge thereof,and the pins on the lower member 2 are located at the upper edgethereof, and the height of the intermediate member is substantially thesame as the height of each of the principal members. Under theseconditions the binder is capable of an expansion substantially equal tothree times its height when contracted.

Each of the binder-posts 12 consists of a plurality of tubes, at leastthree in number, telescoping one within the other. One tube in each postis secured to the cover-plate 5 in the uppermember l and another tube tothe cover-plate 5 in the lower member 2 in the manner shown.

of the ledger, but also act as guides to keep the parts in their properrelative positions.

The controlling devices for contracting, expanding, and locking thebinder parts consist of a pair of screw-operated shears, preferablyarranged as follows: The shear-bars 13 are each slotted at their lowerextremities to receive pins fixed in the blocks 14:, said blocks beinglocated near the end plates 4 of the lower member 2. Said shear-barsextend across the device, and each is pivotally attached at its upperextremity to a screw-block 15, mounted so as to travel in the uppermember 1.

A simple construction is shown in the drawings, wherein the saidscrew-blocks project upward through the upper cover-plate 5 and areguided by the slots 16 therein. The shear- Said binder parts not onlyserve as means of attachment for the leaves bars are pivotally connectedtogether at a One of said blocks has a left-hand and one a right-handthread for receiving the right-and-left screw 17. Said screw is rotatedby means of the ICC removable key 18, and the block 19, fixed near themiddle of the upper cover-plate 5, acts as a brace for preventing thebending of said screw.

The ledger-covers may be attached to the cover-plates 5 in any suitablemanner, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In operation if the binder is contracted, as shown in Fig. 2, and thescrew 17 is rotated in the proper direction the right and left threadson said screw will cause the blocks 15 to approach each other. Inasmuchas the bars 13 are pivoted together and are alsopivoted to said blocks,the motion of the blocks will cause the barsto rotate, so as to expandthe members 1 and 2. After the upper member has risen a distance equalto the height of the lower member the intermediate member will form aconnecting-piece, so that there shall be no interveningspace.Thecontinued rotation of the screw 17 will cause the binder to expanduntil the pins 11 come to the extremities of the slots 10. At this timethe binder will be approximately three times as high as when contracted.This great expansion is of extreme importance in facilitating theinsertion and removal of the loose leaves.

Another advantage of this binder lies in its simplicity of constructionand in the fact that the screw 17 forms a lock, so that the members willremain in any desired position.

I do not limit myself to the precise disposition of the dilferent partsas here shown, for other arrangements may readily suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art.

I/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A loose-leaf binder comprising two principal members each having aback plate and a cover-plate, the back plate of one being offset totelescope past the back plate of the other, and a connecting thirdmember of a height approximately equal to the individual height of eachof the principal members and forming a guide and extension for saidprincipal members in their telescoping movement.

. 2. In a loose-leaf binder the combination of two principal memberseach having a back plate and a cover-plate, the back plate of one beingoffset to telescope past the back plate of the other, a connecting thirdor central member approximately equal to the individual height of eachof the principal membersand forming a guide and extension for saidprincipal members in their telescoping movement, and key-controlledmechanism whereby the three members may be expanded to a height greaterthan the combined height of the principal members, and contracted to aheight practically the same as the height of a single one of saidmembers.

3. In a loose-leaf binder the combination of two principal members, eachhaving a back plate and a. cover-plate, the back plate of one beingoffset to telescope past the back plate of the other, a connecting thirdor central member approximately equal to the individual height of eachof the principal members and forming a guide and extension for saidprinof the other, a connecting third or central member approximatelyequal to the individual height of each of the principal members andforming a guide and extension for said principal members, means on saidthird member for limiting the amount of separation of said principalmembers, and key-controlled means for positively moving said principalmembers and telescoping them past each other and with the thirdmember.

5. In a loose-leaf binder the combination of two principal members, eachhaving a back plate and a cover-plate, the back plate of one beingoffset to telescope past the back plate of the other, a connecting thirdmember approximately equal to the individual height of each of theprincipal members and forming a guide and extension for said principalmembers, a key-controlled shear-lever system having connections at thefree ends with the principal members to close them in or spread themapart, and slot-and-pin connections which determine the relation of thecentral member to the principal members.

6. In a loose-leaf binder the combination of two principal members, eachhaving a back plate and a cover-plate, the back plate of one beingoffset to telescope past the back plate of the other, a connecting thirdmember approximately equal to the individual height of each of theprincipal members and forming a guide and extension for said principalmembers, a key-controlled shear-lever system extending between theprincipal members to close them in or spread them apart, slidingconnections therefor with said members, and slot-and-pin connectionswhich determine the relation of the central member with the principalmembers.

7. In a loose-leaf binder the combination of two principal members, eachhaving a back plate and a cover-plate, the back plate of one beingoffset to telescope past the back plate of the other, a connecting thirdmember approximately equal to the individual height of each of theprincipal members and forming a guide and extension for said principalmembers, a

key-controlled shear-lever system having connections at the free endswith the principal members to close them in or spread them apart,

slot-and-pin connections which determine the relation of the centralmember to the principal members, and leaf-engaging posts attached to thecover-plates of the principal members.

8. A loose-leaf binder comprising two principal box-like members, eachhaving a back plate, two end plates, and a cover-plate, the back and endplates of one member being ofiset to telescope past the back and endplates of the other member, in combination with a connecting thirdmember of a height approximately equal to the individual height of eachof the principal members and forming a guide for said principal members.

9. A loose leaf binder comprising two principal box-like members, eachhaving a back plate, two end plates and a cover-plate, the back and endplates of one member being offset to telescope past the back and endplates of the other member, in combination with a connecting thirdmember of a height approximately equal to the individual height of eachof the principal members and forming a guide and extension for theprincipal members, means on said third member for limiting the amount ofseparation of saidv principal members, and key-controlled means forpositively moving said principal members and telescoping them past eachother and with the third member.

10. A loose leaf binder comprising two principal box-like membershaving'back plates and end plates offset for telescoping past eachother, and cover-plates, in combination with a connecting third memberof a height approximately equal to the height of one of the principalmembers and forming a guide and extension for the principal members,means on said third member for limiting the amount of separation of saidprincipal members, keycontrolled means for positively moving saidprincipal members and telescoping them past each other and with thethird member, and leaf-engaging posts attached to the coverplates of theprincipal members.

I 11. A looseleaf binder, comprising two principal box-like membershaving back plates and end plates offset for telescoping past eachother, and cover-plates, in combination with a connecting third membersubstantially equal in height to the individual principal members andforming a guide for the same, and a slotand-pin connection between saidthird memher and each individual principal member, the travel of saidthird member relatively to each of said principal members beingapproximately equal to the height of said third member.

12. A loose leaf binder comprising two principal box-like membersseparable from each other and each formed with a cover-plate and havingback and end plates offset to telescope past the corresponding back andend proximately equal to its own height individually compared to each.

13. A loose-leaf binder comprising two principal box-like membersseparable from each other and each formed with a cover-plate and havingback and end plates oflset to telescope past the corresponding back andend plates 'on the other member, said members thereby closing to aheight substantially equal to the height of one of said principal members, in combination with a connecting third member forming a guide forthe principal members and having a motion relative to each individualthereof approximately equal to its own height, and telescopingbinding-posts consisting of at least three parts, one part beingattached directly to each of the principal members, and the third partbeing movable relatively to each of the other two parts.

14. A loose-leaf binder comprising two separable principal members eachhaving end plates and a back plate offset to pass the cor.- respondingplates on the other of said members, and a cover-plate, in combinationwith a third member forming a guide for said principal members, means onsaid third member for limiting the amount of separation of saidprincipal members, and'a pair of shear-bars for controlling saidprincipal members.

15. A loose-leaf binder comprising two independent box-like principalmembers each having a back plate, two end plates, and a cover-plate, theback plate and end plates of one member being offset to pass by thecorresponding parts of the other principal member, in combination with athird member having a middle portion and folded end portions inclosing,and forming guides for the end plates of said principal members,slot-and-pin devices connecting said third member to the principalmembers, and means for telescoping said members to expand or contractthe space inclosed by them.

16. A loose-leaf binder-comprising two independent box-like principalmemberseach having a back plate, two end plates, and a cover-plate, theback and end plates of one member being oflset to pass by thecorresponding parts of the other principal member, in combination with athird member having a middle portion and doubled end portions inclosingand forming guides for the end 4 plates of said principal members,aslot-and-pin device connecting the outside end portions of said thirdmember to the end plates of one of the principal members, and aslot-and-pin device connecting the'inside end portions of the connectedto said principal members by slot and-pin connections, a pair ofcontrolling-bars pivoted together, sliding connections between one endof these bars and one of said principal members, the other member havingsliding screw-blocks pivotally connected to the other end of said bars.

- v ARTHUR OPALLA.

WVitnesses:

J. B. FREELAND, HOWARD M. Cox.

